


A starry night

by Sentient_cHaos



Category: Original Work
Genre: Boys In Love, Comfort No Hurt, Cute, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, I love them so much, Love, M/M, Original Character(s), Sleepovers, Stargazing, they're my babies??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 17:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19728655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sentient_cHaos/pseuds/Sentient_cHaos
Summary: One night, during a sleepover, Oliver had to deal with a blackout - a rare event he isn't inherently comfortable with; he never really was fond of power outages. The dark hid so many secrets, and Oliver was too scared to explore them.In the midst of a blackout, Oliver had nobody but his boyfriend, Archetel, to protect him from the night's dangers.





	A starry night

**Author's Note:**

> Heya! Back at you with another fic, today I was feeling a little more inspired to do something a little more low-key and romantic if you will... This is another shorter work, but hopefully, I'll have longer ones waiting. And again, I wanted to write something with Oliver and Archetel, because they're way too fun to write... (Oliver belongs to my good friend Dev (@develyndraws on Instagram), while Archetel belongs to me!)
> 
> -Haos

Ever since he was young, Oliver dreaded blackouts. There was nothing worse for a child than all light suddenly draining from the house, leaving him into pitch-black darkness, in the place he considered his safe haven. A secluded area where he grew up thinking he was safe, suddenly being stripped of all safety in a matter of seconds and for unknown reasons, the whole scenario terrified him. He dreaded blackouts, and that fear sneakily followed him as he grew older.

He remembered the times he cowered under his blanket, waiting for the light to turn back on and the monsters that lay asleep in the shadows to go away, or for his uncle to come in the room to comfort him.

But he was older now, and the comfort had to stop at some point. Enough had been enough, the adults decided, so no more comfort during blackouts. _You’re 16 already! You’re grown up! You know there’s nothing to fear!_ They cried. Oliver had no choice but to listen to their words. They were grownups, after all, they always knew better.

The years had passed, and that was entirely certain. Changing schools, puberty, crushes… it all went by so quickly that Oliver had a hard time wrapping his head around it. Before he knew it, he came out to his uncle. Before he knew it, he had graduated from middle school. Before he knew it, he fell for an upperclassman. And before he knew it, that upperclassman confessed his feelings to him too, and would now call Oliver things such as “babe”, or “baby”, kissing him on the forehead as good morning and holding his hand whenever he got the chance.

They would spend hours upon hours in each other’s houses, sometimes getting so carried away that they had to have impromptu sleepovers, yet when they could, they organized them as best as their ability allowed it.

“Aren’t you tired yet…?” Oliver asked, nearly yawning himself to sleep. Archetel, his boyfriend, gazed up from his phone. He smiled unapologetically “You yourself know how messed up my sleeping schedule is… That’s why we even started doing these sleep-overs in the first place!”

He was entirely true. Oliver was tired of seeing Archetel chug Redbull by the liter, drinking coffee with every meal, all, because he would sleep from 5, am until 7 am. Oliver sighed aloud. “… You know, I’d be way less worried if you took care of yourself…” he remarked.

“I know, I know…” Archetel chuckled and pulled his boyfriend closer to a hug, wrapping his arm tightly around him.

Oliver stood in his warm hug, looking down and thinking. “Actually…” he reached out, putting Archetel’s phone on his chest. “… why don’t you try sleeping right now…?”

“But it’s only 1 am!” Archetel whined, putting his hand over his boyfriend’s. “Just two more minutes!” Oliver laughed.

“‘Just two more minutes’…?” he repeated at Archetel’s face. Archetel pouted softly and looked away. “…For me…?” Oliver asked, smiling innocently and laying his head onto him.

Archetel couldn’t resist; he never could. He sighed and put his phone on his nightstand. “Fine…” he grunted. He laid down slowly. “You sleep too though!”

Oliver smiled and nodded, looking around the room. Archetel reached over and dimmed the lights. He clearly didn’t want to sleep, but he was at least gonna try…

Oliver took in the room and the calm atmosphere… The slight whirr of the fans cooling the room down, the lights flicking dangerously, signaling they were close to turning off…

And with a low buzz, the fans stopped. The lights turned off. The buzz traveled from Archetel’s room all throughout his house, and Oliver’s heart followed it, dropping stories down.

“What was that…?” Archetel raised his head up and looked around the room. He almost hissed slightly when Oliver started digging his fingers into his sleeves. “Woah, hey, what’s wrong?” he abruptly asked his boyfriend.

Oliver kept his mouth shut; he knew he would start hyperventilating if he opened it. He gulped quietly, trying not to cry or shake. He whipped his head around, seeing something from the corner of his eye, but it was gone in a matter of seconds. The feeling of being watched returned, the fear in his heart crept up his spine and turned into goosebumps.

“It’s just a blackout, calm down!” Archetel encouraged. Oliver tried to say something, yet the only thing escaping his mouth was a wheeze. His own fear betrayed him, and he just huddled closer to Archetel. _At least he wasn’t alone,_ he thought _, and he had someone there. But what if Archetel made fun of him? What if he laughed at him?_

“It’s just a blackout…” Archetel repeated, softer than before. He gently held Oliver’s hands, mildly startling him. Yet it was just Archetel… nobody else. Oliver hugged Archetel softly, taking deep breaths in order to try and relax. “It’ll be okay…” his sweet voice reminded.

Oliver wasn’t used to this type of silence. The familiar buzzing, the familiar warmth, they were all gone. But Archetel was still there, he hadn’t left alongside the power. He was still there.

“…. C-can we turn on anything…?” Oliver stuttered, not looking up from Archetel’s hug.

Archetel stood in silence. Oliver focused on his touch and warmth until he spoke again. “I’ve got an idea…” he stood up, still holding Oliver’s hands calmly and softly. “Come on…!” he encouraged, grabbing his phone off the bedside table.

He turned on the flashlight and began walking. He went through his room, out the door, out to the hallway and up the stairs. They were climbing stairs for the most part, until they reached a small door, small enough that even Oliver had to duck to get through. Archetel turned off his flashlight and unlocked the door with the key that stood in the lock, opening it and stepping outside.

Once Oliver stepped outside and felt the air, he knew they were up on the roof. He looked up.

Billions of stars all looking back down at him.

“Pretty, right?” Archetel’s voice broke the silence. Oliver momentarily looked at Archetel, catching his sympathetic smile. He looked back up. “Yeah…” he muttered.

The night sky greeted him with an amazing spectacle. It was a new moon, too; the calm breeze and the darkness of the night allowed for a perfect view of the milky way and all the stars surrounding it.

Archetel held Oliver’s hand gently and sat himself down, urging Oliver to do the same.

They were both sat down on the roof, enjoying the cool breeze of the night and the sound of the cicadas chirping. Oliver stood frozen, looking up at the sky, one hand warmly held by Archetel.

“… Are you afraid of blackouts…?” he asked gently. Oliver looked back down, a small blush creeping up to his face, painting his cheeks red. He nodded shyly, and Archetel smiled.

“…There’s no reason to be afraid silly… It’s just a small blackout…! These things happen!” he smiled warmly at Oliver. Oliver’s heart fluttered in his chest and he smiled back; he could hear Archetel trying to comfort him through his words, but that wasn’t enough…

The figures moving in the dark, the beasts of the night, it wouldn’t be so easy to drive them away… If it only were that simple, Oliver would’ve gotten over his fear ages ago. “It’s not that simple…” he looked down.

Archetel’s smile faded, and he looked up at the sky. “I mean, I can’t say I don’t understand…” he remarked. Oliver turned his head and looked at Archetel. _Was Archetel afraid of blackouts too…?_ He didn’t seem to be, he guided Oliver through it with such ease!

“… I’m scared of the dark myself,” he explained “Ever since my parents were-…” he cut himself off and remained silent. He didn’t want to talk about it, and when he did, he was not enjoying himself. Which was to be expected of course…

“… I’ve been paranoid ever since… Since I was asleep when it happened, y’know…?” he glanced at Oliver and smiled slightly. Oliver smiled back and looked at the sky once more.

And it made tons of sense… The reason why Archetel slept so little at night was that he was scared that something bad was gonna happen too… He was afraid of the monsters in the shadows as well, however, Archetel’s monsters looked much different than Oliver’s. Archetel’s monsters didn’t have long, black arms and towering height, and Oliver’s didn’t have cold, dead eyes and a blood-stained knife.

“… So you do understand…” he muttered to himself. He smiled to himself, blushing a little more. He took back to studying the sky and all its bright stars. Then he started seeing patterns…

Libra and Scorpio… Soon Leo and Sagittarius… Then Pisces and Virgo… Then Cancer and Aquarius…

He smiled to himself. “Archetel, do you know how to find constellations…?” he looked at his boyfriend. “Hmm… I’ve heard some stuff! I don’t really do astrology, I just kind of listen to Instagram experts… I know the signs though!” he explained, not drawing his attention from the stars.

“…Well…” Oliver looked away and blushed more. “… Today, Cancer and Aquarius are next to each other…!” he explained.

Archetel looked at Oliver, kind of dumbfounded by what he'd just been told. Then he broke into a burst of hearty laughter. "And I want Cancer and Aquarius to be close to each other for way more than just tonight..." he smiled at his boyfriend.

Oliver's face went bright red, and he tried covering it with his sleeve. Archetel laughed more, reaching out to uncover his boyfriend's face. "Come on, don't hide from me...!" he encouraged quietly, and Oliver slowly took away his sleeve. He wasn't used to Archetel's compliments, even after being with him for a few months.

"... Are you being honest...?" he asked sheepishly, and Archetel nodded. And Oliver knew he meant it. He could always tell when his boyfriend was being honest. He smiled to himself and looked back up at the stars.

Knowing something else lay outside of the dark interior of houses and he wasn't trapped with the monsters during a power outage brought him comfort. Every time he felt scared by the darkness of the house, he would remember the array of stars awaiting him right outside his house.

"... Do you wanna go back inside...?" Archetel looked at Oliver. Oliver shook his head. He wanted to stay outside for as long as possible, to enjoy the stars. He had never thought of stargazing before, and he felt like an idiot for ignoring such a natural beauty.

Archetel smiled, seeing his boyfriend go from panicking to such a calm state. He himself looked back up at the stars. It wasn't the first time he'd done this, and it was obvious to Oliver as well. Knowing exactly what to do in just a short span of seconds during a power outage... He must've had a lot of experience in dealing with them.

"... Archetel did you get a lot of power outages when you were younger...?" he looked at Archetel.

Archetel mumbled an 'Mhm' in agreement. "My house wasn't the most high-quality it could've been... and we didn't live in the best part of town either," he explained.

"My dad used to usher everyone out of the house when a power outage hit so we could look at the stars," he added. For a moment, his eyes went glossy. He blinked the shine in his eyes away and went back to looking like his normal, confident self. Oliver sighed to himself. Both of their parent's deaths had affected them greatly... But, knowing they could rely on each other for comfort was more than enough.

"... Are you sure you don't want to go back inside...?" Archetel asked. Oliver shook his head once more. Archetel laughed. "You were the one who wanted me to go to sleep in the first place!" he commented, and Oliver smiled defeatedly.

"Yeah, but now I want to look at the stars..." he looked over at his boyfriend with puppy eyes, and Archetel visibly turned red. He closed his mouth and resumed to stargazing. "... Sure..." he gave in. He couldn't resist his boyfriend even if he wanted to. Archetel was such a pushover when it came to Oliver. He couldn't resist him, and he would always remind him of that.

"I think we should make another trial at sleeping..." he suggested. "That way, you can get used to power outages too!" he added, a smile appearing on his face. Oliver sighed with his mouth closed. He was too scared to go back down but... If he was with Archetel, he'd be alright. Archetel would protect him, was all he was thinking. That's right... He didn't have to be afraid of anything when he was around Archetel, he knew he'd protect him.

"... Okay..." Oliver sighed defeatedly. He got up and Archetel followed suit, standing up after him. He offered Oliver his hand and held it gently, his thumb caressing Oliver's knuckle to calm him. Oliver smiled and they both started making their way back inside.

Back into the darkness... Oliver wasn't prepared to face the darkness again, but he'd do it, just to prove he was strong enough, more to himself than anyone else.

They went through the tiny door, down the sets of endless stairs and back into what should be Archetel's room... Oliver's eyes were quickly adjusting to the darkness, and he started making out familiar shapes... The bed, the fans... the bookshelves, the drawers, the turned-off lights... Everything was starting to look familiar, even in the pitch-black abyss that had become Archetel's room. He found a strange comfort in this, knowing nothing had ever really changed in the span of the lights closing... He was still in a normal room... _But the monsters still lurked,_ his mind told him. _And he had to be careful, else he'd be vulnerable to them._

He was always vulnerable to them. There was no helping it.

But he had to get over his irrational fear. So long as he wasn't scared, nothing would get him.

He let Archetel guide him to the bed, and he sat down alongside him. "Let's try to sleep now..." Archetel recommended and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Oliver.

Oliver nestled in Archetel's hug, his head reaching his collarbone. He took in Archetel's heartbeat, his scent, everything that made him himself. He let himself relax in the hug of his boyfriend, taking in the rest of the atmosphere, in addition to his boyfriend. He smiled, feeling Archetel relaxing quicker than anticipated. He closed his eyes as well and started taking slow, steady, deep breaths. He had to try to at least fall asleep... He had to be a good example for his boyfriend, no matter what that meant. He tightened his grip on Archetel's clothes ever so slightly and dozed off.

Inside Archetel's hug, everything was easier. Ignoring his fears, his anxiety, and all the monsters that awaited in the darkness were a piece of cake around his boyfriend. He smiled in his sleep, finally entering a deep, deep slumber, hoping Archetel would do the same soon. At least he couldn't hear, see, or feel any monsters around him, and that was all that mattered to him right now.

It was a perfect night; sleeping together with his boyfriend, the one person who could help him fend off every fear. What more could he have asked for?


End file.
